Dying in Style by Elaine Viets Read Free Book Online Page A

thought. I’m the closest thing to white trash this school has. They probably think I dress like this for real. Josie didn’t fit in with the other Barrington moms and she knew it. But she wanted her daughter to have the best schooling.
    Amelia was the love of her life. The best mistake she ever made.
    Thanks to mystery shopping, Josie picked up some cool clothes for her daughter that she could never afford otherwise. Josie used to troll the garage sales in rich neighborhoods for high-priced children’s clothes. Now that Amelia went to Barrington with the kids who had those garages and the palatial homes that went with them, Josie couldn’t risk buying their castoffs.
    The job provided other perks. Josie mystery-shopped cruise lines and amusement parks for free vacations. Rating ritzy restaurants gave Josie and Amelia a taste of the good life.
    Her mother watched Amelia when Josie was stuck on a job. Jane could be summoned by cell phone with the emergency code 666—MOM.
    What did moms do before cell phones? Josie wondered. What did moms do before coffee? She badly needed some after her white-trash near disaster at Barrington.
    Josie pulled into the parking lot of Has Beans and checked herself in the mirror. Her brown hair was still flat. She stuck it under the flossy blond wig. It was total trash time.
    Josh whistled when she walked into the coffee shop. “Nice outfit,” he said. “Can I take out the trash?”
    “Forget it, Josh,” she said. “I’m working.”
    “On the Stroll?” That was the city’s prostitution zone.
    Josh was three years younger than Josie and the handsomest coffee hustler in Maplewood. He wrote science fiction. So far he was unpublished, but Josh was sure someday he would be the next Orson Scott Card.
    “What would you like?” Josh said.
    It wasn’t quite a leer, but Josie knew Josh’s intentions were strictly dishonorable. He was as bad for her as a caramel cappuccino, but she craved him anyway.
    Why can’t I feel this way about sensible Stan next door? Josh would never fix my air conditioner or do anything else useful. Josh would also never wear short-sleeved drip-dry shirts and a hangdog look.
    Josh was her mom’s worst nightmare, down to his pierced tongue. The man was bad—in a good way.
    “Earth to Josie,” Josh said. “What can I get you?”
    “Double espresso,” she said.
    “Whoa, breakfast of champions.”
    “I need the ’feine,” she said.
    “What are you doing today for truth, justice and the American consumer?” Josh asked.
    “Checking out General Cheeps chicken.”
    “Ah,” Josh said, “now I understand the outfit. Very clever.”
    “It’s my favorite disguise,” Josie said.
    “Mine, too,” Josh said. “Your rich suburban lady outfit is low on my list. Makes you look like a total tight-ass.”
    “It’s supposed to,” Josie said, finishing off her espresso. She was wired and ready for work.
    The first General Cheeps was way up north in Florissant, near a trailer park. No one raised an eyebrow when she sauntered into the chicken store in her WHITE TRASH tube top. Compared to the other customers, Josie looked like she was dressed for a Junior League luncheon.
    She hit ten chicken stores. As she drove around the St. Louis area, Josie listened to eighties music. U2 was her favorite, and she sang along with the plaintive “New Year’s Day” and “With or Without You.” Even though she sounded more like a horny cat than a lovesick singer, Josie didn’t care and sang freely. No one heard her.
    By two o’clock, Josie had a stack of reports, most of them favorable. General Cheeps was a well-run franchise. Her car was loaded with buckets of chicken, mashed potatoes and corn bread. On the seat next to her sloshed a double tub of green beans, a tribute to Jane. Josie hoped her mom didn’t notice the fatback bacon floating in the vegetables.
    Josie checked the dashboard clock and breathed a sigh of relief. If the highway traffic kept moving, she’d have