Ladle to the Grave (A Soup Lover's Mystery Book 4) by Connie Archer Read Free Book Online

The skirt was cut on the bias and would flow gently to the floor. The material was an eggshell white with a matte finish and would set off Sophie’s coloring and dark curly hair. Sophie had nixed the idea of lace or anything fussy.
    “I just have to hem the dress, but if I can’t find the notions I need, I’ll have to make piping from the leftover material for a lacing at the back. That’ll take me at least another night.”
    “Thanks, Lucky. Not just for the dress but for everything else.” Sophie was referring to Lucky’s efforts over a year ago in freeing Sage from a possible jail sentence. “If it hadn’t been for you . . .” Sophie trailed off.
    Lucky poured a little more coffee into Sophie’s mug. She blushed in response to Sophie’s praise. “It was nothin’.”
    Sophie balled up a paper napkin and threw it at her head. “Don’t even say that. All this . . .” She waved her arm in the air, indicating the restaurant, Jack’s health, Sage and herself. “None of this would be here if it weren’t for you.”
    Lucky looked up when she heard a knock on the front door. Nate was on the threshold. “I’ll get it, Jack,” she called out. She unlocked the front door and opened it for Nate. She reached up to flip the sign over to read OPEN .
    Nate grasped her hand before she could turn the sign. He looked her straight in the eyes. “Hold off, Lucky.”
    Lucky’s eyes widened.
    “You’ll need to wait a bit.” He glanced around the restaurant, realizing that only she, Jack, Sage and Sophie were there. Sage peered through the hatch from the kitchen. Nate nodded to him, indicating Sage should join them in the front.
    Sophie had turned on her stool, gazing curiously. When she saw Nate beckon Sage to the front of the restaurant, she frowned.
    Nate approached Sophie and took her hand. “Let’s sit over here,” he said, leading Sophie to Jack’s table. Sage and Lucky joined them as Jack, aware that something was wrong, folded up his newspaper and put it to the side. Nate turned his chair toward Sophie and took both her hands in his. “The man you discovered yesterday . . .”
    Sophie gulped and nodded.
    “We think he could be your brother.”

Chapter 9

    S OPHIE ’S FACE WAS blank, uncomprehending.
    “What?” She shook her head as though she were unable to hear Nate’s words.
    Nate glanced around, taking in all of them. “We didn’t find any identification on the body—nothing. But there was a small pen in one of the inside pockets of the jacket. It had the logo of the Snowflake Resort on it. You know, one of those pens they leave in the rooms for guests to use.”
    Sophie continued to stare at Nate. Sage moved closer to her and placed a protective arm around her shoulders.
    Nate continued. “We checked with the Resort. They don’t have a lot of bookings right now so it wasn’t too hard to figure it out. Everyone’s accounted for except one room hasn’t been slept in for at least a couple of days.” He watched Sophie’s face carefully. “It was reserved under the name of Richard Colgan. Sophie, we think it could be him. Your brother.”
    Sophie seemed to sink in upon herself. “Rick? Rick was here?” She spoke in a barely audible whisper. “How can you be sure it was Rick?”
    Nate heaved a sigh. “We can run a DNA test, with your permission. That would clinch it. Other than that, did he have any identifying marks? Birthmarks? Tattoos? Anything like that you might remember?”
    Sophie shrugged, still unable to take in all that Nate was saying. “I . . . I really don’t know my brother all that well. He’s been gone since I was . . . what, eleven, I think. And I’ve only seen him once in all these years. He came back when we buried Mom. If he had any birthmarks or anything, I never saw them.”
    “And there was nothing about that body you found that made you think it might be your brother?”
    Sophie shook her head.
    “What’s he been doing all this time?” Nate