Diva 03 _ Diva Paints the Town, The by Krista Davis Read Free Book Online Page A

left. Did he have a lot to drink? Maybe he took a cab home or called a friend to drive him.”
    “We should search the house. What if he staggered someplace and fell again? It would be terrible if he died because we didn’t look around.”
    It was the prudent thing to do. The two of us took a quick tour of the house, most of which appeared to have been undisturbed for years, if the dust was any indication. He wasn’t in any of the five bedrooms or two bathrooms, and he wasn’t bleeding to death on the stairs leading up to the third floor. We made a quick round of the first floor again, but he just wasn’t there.
    “What about the basement?”
    “Honestly, Nina, if you had hit your head and you felt woozy, would you go into a basement?”
    “No. But . . .”
    “You’re not going to let me sleep tonight unless we search every corner, are you?”
    She had already opened the basement door, and was peering down ancient stairs. I followed her, but there wasn’t much to see. Smaller than my basement, it was typical for a historic home. The washer and dryer sat near a wall, and a large furnace took up most of the space.
    “ Shh. ” Nina stuck out an arm to stop me.
    A distinct scratching sound came from behind the wall. “ Eww, mice.” Nina shuddered and motioned for me to head back up the steps.
    “Are you satisfied?” I asked.
    “I guess so. But then, what happened to him and what was that noise we heard?”
    I had to admit the clank was peculiar. “It’s an old house that creaks?” I didn’t believe that, and from the look on Nina’s face, she didn’t, either. “It was probably Kurt sneaking out the back door. He most likely went home. Like we’re going to do right now.”
    “Can we check his car one more time?”
    “Sure. Would you feel better if you slept at my place?”
    She thought about it. “No. Maybe he’ll call me back. He was a total worm, but at least I’d know I didn’t kill him.”
    I switched off lights as we walked toward the foyer. “Will you stop saying that?” Locking the door behind us, I said, “The fact that he’s not bleeding to death on the floor ought to clue you in that he’s alive. Dead people don’t usually walk away.”
    Unfortunately, Kurt’s SUV was still parked where they had left it. “Maybe he walked down to King Street for a drink.”
    Nina nodded. “I could use one myself right about now.”
    We parted ways in front of my house. Agitated and wide awake, I made a toasty hot chocolate to warm up, and rubbed my feet, now little more than frozen blocks, in front of the dying embers of the fire while Mochie head-butted me for attention.
    Although I thought it obvious that Nina hadn’t killed Kurt, I slept uneasily, tossing and turning. Maybe it was guilt for not doing anything for Mordecai while he was alive to appreciate it. Maybe it was worry about Kurt.
    I finally gave up on sleep. Since I planned to do some cleaning at Mordecai’s, I passed on a shower and pulled on old jeans and a sweatshirt that had belonged to Mars. It hung almost to my knees and made me resemble a gray penguin, but it didn’t matter. It was still dark outside when
    I trotted downstairs. I poured bracing coffee into a thermos, and fed Mochie canned shrimp and crab. I snarfed a dry piece of toast, pleased with myself for not eating any butter or jam. The streetlights were still on when I crossed the road to Mordecai’s, armed with dusters and cleaning supplies and towing my vacuum cleaner.
    I unlocked the door and was greeted by silence. Not even a clock ticked. Although I’d been in the house the day before, there was something creepy about being there alone. Some people thought they could feel a spirit in my kitchen, and I wondered briefly if Mordecai’s spirit still lingered in his house. I paused to listen for a clank like Nina and I had heard the night before, and scolded myself out loud. “Stop it! There’s no one here.”
    Brushing morbid thoughts aside, I left my cleaning