Death is a Bargain (A Kate Kennedy Mystery Book 3) by Noreen Wald Read Free Book Online Page B

several years? Since they were neighbors in the corridor, that must have been awkward, at best.
    “I see you kept your dog at bay, Mrs. Kennedy.” Linda sat in the empty chair next to Marlene, who stroked a contented Precious, and reached for a bagel. “My favorites. Nothing like them in Liverpool. And I ordered them smeared with cream cheese.”
    “Ballou is always very well-behaved, Ms. Rutledge.” Sitting like a gentleman at Kate’s feet, Ballou stirred at the sound of his name and licked her hand, while still watching the cat.
    “Call me Linda. And don’t bristle. Some mean little dogs thrive on tormenting my poor Precious. And their masters don’t give a fig. I meant that as a compliment, Kate. I can call you, Kate, right, seeing as we’ll be working side by side.” Linda bit into the bagel. “Brilliant.” Kate jumped on the doll lady’s attitude adjustment and moved in for the kill.
    “Of course, please do call me Kate. And I will have a bagel. Cinnamon raisin is my favorite too. I have one every Sunday morning after church.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Marlene smirking. Well, Kate might be laying it on thicker than cream cheese, but she told the truth.
    The doll lady smiled.
    “So, Freddie’s good with a camera. Tell me, does he focus on the circus animals? They’re such interesting subjects and right under his nose.” Kate took a bite of her bagel. “Yummy, aren’t they?”
    “Righto.” Linda swallowed. “Freddie’s favorite models are the tigers; he must have five hundred photos of those cats. Always pulling out the latest batch and shoving them under my nose. Freddie believes tigers are brighter than most people and better-looking too.” Linda lifted Precious out of Marlene’s lap and rubbed the cat’s stomach. “He often reads his comic books to them, claims they can recognize the cartoon characters’ names. Drives their tamer wild.” Linda shifted Precious to her knees and sipped her coffee. “If you ask me, Freddie Ducksworth is daft.”
    “What about the elephants?” Kate asked. “Did Freddie ever take pictures of them?”
    Linda shook her head, her long hair rolling with the movement. “I never saw him shooting any elephants. Why do you ask?” Kate could almost see Linda’s mind working, quickly coming up with an answer to her own question. “Do photographs of the circus elephants have something to do with Whitey’s murder?”
    The doll lady was no dope. Still…could she be playing Kate? Pretending to process new information, while knowing full well the photographs might be a motive? And more importantly, could Linda Rutledge be a woman scorned?
    During Sean’s steady stream of gossip yesterday afternoon as he’d introduced Kate and Marlene around the corridor, he’d started with Linda’s broken romance with Whitey.
    Linda met Kate’s eyes. “I told you Freddie’s a bit off. He’s no killer, though. Not bright enough, for starters.” She tugged at her purple spandex shirt, trying to stretch the material to cover her cleavage, and she sounded nervous, on edge.
    Kate nodded, then kept quiet, hoping Marlene and Mary Frances would do the same.
    “I think someone is after us circus-corridor vendors. It began with the automobile crash.”
    What crash? Where was Linda going?
    “I doubt Carl Krieg had anything to do with that. He just likes dressing up like a storm trooper and strutting about. For him, every day is Halloween. Carl’s all style and no substance, just like the Jerry who landed in my Aunt Jessica’s garden during World War II.” The doll lady sighed. “A pilot but not a very good one, and not out of his teens. Destroyed my old auntie’s tea rose bushes, though he’d been convinced he zeroed in on Ten Downing Street. Kept demanding to meet Churchill.”
    Again, Kate nodded, leaning in closer to Linda. Mary Frances opened her mouth, then catching Kate’s disapproving glance, shut it. Precious meowed—a plaintive sound—the cat’s