Deep-Fried Homicide (The Laurel Falls Mysteries Book 1) by Patricia Lee Macomber Read Free Book Online Page B

Civic. You could always say that you’re there to retrieve my charm bracelet for me. I left it in the glove box.”
    Rick looked at her suspiciously and frowned. “And did you leave your charm bracelet in the glove box?”
    “No, it’s right here.” She shook her wrist and the little charms danced and jangled. But you can take it with you and use it as an excuse in case you get caught.” She undid the clasp and let the bracelet drop into her palm, then held both keys and bracelet out to Rachel.
    With a sideways smile, Rachel took both. “Say, you’re pretty good at this.”
    “Good at making excuses and getting out of trouble? Yea.” She winked then. “There are a couple of things you should know, though. Mike sometimes likes to go out to his favorite pub and toss back a few with his pals. But no matter where he goes or what he does, he has never been out past three. He’s in bed every night by three at the latest. He’ll sleep until at least nine in the morning and the parking lot is on the opposite side of the building from the apartment.”
    “Good to know, Diane. Thanks.” Rachel spun on Rick, her face playful, her eyebrows dancing. “So…date night?”
    “S o, on a scale of one to ten, how mad are you?” Rachel asked as they were walking home.
    “Oh, I’ve simmered down to about a six,” Rick replied. He did a good job of hiding his smile.
    “For what it’s worth, I’m really sorry, Rick. And I swear to you, it won’t happen again. I just don’t know what gets into me.”
    “I know what gets into you. You’re brilliant but you’re quirky. With a touch of OCD. You see unanswered questions and you go a little crazy. You just can’t stop digging until you find the answers, no matter what it takes.”
    “You should have been a profiler.” She elbowed him for good measure, her face beaming up into his.
    Rick snorted. “And you should seek professional help.”
    “Hey, you’re the one who married quirky.”
    They walked on for a bit in silence, enjoying the quiet, the moon, the soft breeze as it blew in from the bay.
    At length, Rick said, “So, what are you thinking for this guy?”
    “Well, I was thinking that he’s one of two things. He’s either a high-level criminal with enough power to be arrogant…”
    “…or…”
    “…or he’s just a guy who got in over his head.”
    “And you’re serious about running his prints through CODIS?” Rick looked at her then, briefly and out of the corner of his eye.
    “Sure I am. There’s no better way to get to the bottom of it.”
    Rick stopped, turned, seized hold of her shoulders and made her face him. “Okay, but we do this my way. No hacking into CODIS. No hacking into anything ever again. Swear it.”
    Her gaze darted back and forth between his eyes and she nodded vigorously. “I swear it. I will never hack into anything again.”
    “Okay. Then we go. And when we’ve got the prints, I know a guy who can run them for us.” He took her hand and led her off down the sidewalk, shoulder to shoulder with her, the way they always walked. “And that will be the end of it, yes?”
    “Yes,” she answered decisively. She walked on for a few beats, letting her head clear. “So, how mad are you now?”
    “About a two. But I should be back down to zero by the time we get home.”
    Rachel smiled at that and rested her head against his arm. She loved him to madness, not just for letting her go a little crazy once in a while, but for knowing when – and how – to reel her back in again.
    By the time they reached the house, the breeze had died down and the air had grown warm. A light sweat bristled at Rachel’s upper lip as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. Morgan Fairclaws and Jean Clawed van Damme were there to meet them at the door, winding around their ankles and begging to be fed with shrill meows.
    “So, how do you want to do this?” Rachel asked, sidestepping a cat long enough to put down her purse and keys.
    “Well, I