Neighing with Fire: A Mystery (Colleen McCabe Series) by Kathryn O'Sullivan Read Free Book Online Page B

Bill stopping by the station. When he did, she felt like all eyes were on them … and many times they were. Jimmy must have sensed this because one day he had taken her aside and told her all the guys were relieved that she and Bill had finally acknowledged what everyone had been able to see for some time. Jimmy was a good guy … even if he did tease her unmercifully.
    Smokey finished her meal and retreated to the living room for her post-dinner bath. Sparky licked clean the cat’s plate, then trotted across the foyer to join his feline friend. She rinsed the dishes in the sink, placed them in the dishwasher, and plodded into the living room to watch television. She surfed the channels and found a news reporter interviewing a local painter and sculptor named Autumn about her work. She propped herself on the sofa pillows, listened to the artist, and drifted off to sleep.
    Colleen’s cell phone buzzed. She groaned and blinked into the light streaming in through her living room curtains. Her head felt like it weighed fifty pounds. She forced herself upright and discovered Smokey and Sparky staring curiously at her. A local weather person was predicting a sunny, hot day on the television. She clicked the TV off. Had she really spent the entire night on the sofa?
    She retrieved the phone from between the cushions. “Hello?”
    “Good morning,” Bill said on the other end.
    She heard the sound of a car pulling up to the house.
    “Hey,” she said, rising to find out who would be coming by this early.
    A door slammed and footsteps crossed the porch. Sparky lowered his head and growled at the knock on the front door. Smokey scurried under a side table. She peeked out the curtains and Bill waved. She hung up, brushed back her hair, and wiped the sleep from her eyes before opening the door.
    “Please tell me that’s coffee,” she said, eyeing a large Styrofoam cup of steaming liquid in his hand.
    “And doughnuts from Lighthouse Bagels,” he said holding up a white paper bag.
    She moved aside to let him in. Sparky wagged his tail and sniffed at the bag.
    “Sparky, go find the rabbit,” she said, and the dog hurried outside to make his morning rounds and search for the elusive rabbit that lived on her property.
    “Are those the clothes you were in yesterday?” Bill asked, more an observation than a question.
    She closed the door, took the coffee from his hand, and trudged into the kitchen to get a plate for the doughnuts.
    “Everything okay?” he asked, following her.
    Smokey emerged from her hiding place, scampered to Bill, rubbed against his legs, and yowled.
    “All right, all right,” Colleen said, opening the cabinet to retrieve food for the cat.
    “Why don’t you let me feed Smokey,” he said, grabbing the can from her hand. “You work on waking up. I’ve got news.”
    “News?” she said. “What news?”
    “Drink the coffee and have a bite of that doughnut. Then I’ll tell you.”
    “What is it?” she asked, impatient to hear what had brought him by so early.
    “Eat,” he said, motioning to the bag.
    “I know how to take care of myself.” She grabbed one of the restaurant’s famous homemade doughnuts and took a big bite for emphasis.
    “Yes,” he said with a grin. “But I need that mind sharp and awake.”
    Bill’s recent caregiving behavior could be wonderful … and downright infuriating—especially when she knew he had big news. She took another bite of the scrumptious doughnut and her irritation with him disappeared. Lighthouse Bagels & Deli really did make the best bagels, doughnuts, and breakfast in Corolla. She watched Bill feed Smokey, then smiled with appreciation when he joined her at the table.
    “Good,” he said. “You awake?”
    She took a swig of coffee to wash down the doughnut. “Let me hear it.”
    “The ME’s office called about Fuentes. Preliminary findings suggest proximate cause of death was strangulation. Apparently the hyoid bone in Fuentes’ neck was