Strawberry Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 13 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott Read Free Book Online Page A

witness?”
    “Leonard
Koslowski,” Beckett answered, watching her carefully for a reaction. “Ring any
bells?”
    Echo
nodded slowly. “Yes, it sounds familiar, but I don’t know why. Do you have a
picture?”
    “Hang
on a second,” the detective replied, grabbing another file folder from his
valise and paging through it. “Here we go,” he said, sliding an 8x10 across the
table to her.
    Gasping
and covering her mouth with her hands, Echo’s eyes flew open wide. “Oh my gosh!
It’s Lounge Lizard Leonard!” she exclaimed.
    “Lounge
Lizard Leonard?” Chas blinked at her.
    “Yes!
He’s come by my store for ice cream every day since the day that I opened. He’s
awkward and leering and makes me feel uncomfortable when he asks me out at
least once a week. I’ve even noticed him following me into the cupcake shop and
hanging around when I go over to visit with Missy, so it totally makes sense
that he might be jealous enough of Frank to try to frame him,” she said
excitedly.
    “But
then, who killed Brad?” Chas asked, rhetorically.
    Echo
answered him anyway. “Maybe Lounge Lizard Leonard.”
     

Chapter 16
    Missy
stumbled through the swamp, her vision finally clearing. She moved as quickly
as she could, given the fact that she was weak with hunger and dehydration and
was wearing canvas shoes that were definitely not designed for an adventure
hike. Lightheaded and exhausted beyond belief, she focused on the stand of
trees in the distance, hoping that once she got there, she’d be far enough
ahead of her captor that she could take a bit of a rest, even if he had
regained consciousness and was pursuing her.
    Jumping
at every sound, and scanning the thick grass underfoot for the telltale
movement of reptilian creatures, she avoided areas of standing water, trying to
keep her feet dry. The puddles that she passed made her thirst even greater,
and she hoped that somewhere among the trees ahead, there might be a house or business
that could offer her safety and water. The sun beat down on her without mercy,
making her trek through the damp, grassy land that much more miserable, and she
felt her strength ebbing. She turned to look behind her periodically, to see if
she was being followed, and her heart leaped into her throat when she saw a
large male form staggering out of the doorway of the cabin, glancing around as
though trying to spot his prey.
    Crouching
down, she tried to move faster, the muscles of her thighs seizing and burning
in protest. The man lumbered down from the front porch of the cabin and moved
toward the swamp, clearly looking for a trail. Missy hadn’t had the time to
properly cover her tracks, and once the dangerous stranger spotted some bent
grasses and a footprint, he started down the path that she had left, moving
much faster than she had, despite the head injury that he had suffered at her
hand. Missy knew now that her life depended upon reaching the trees and finding
a hiding spot. She didn’t have the strength to continue to run, but if she
could reach the treeline, she might stand a chance of outsmarting her captor.
    Still
trying as best as she could to stay low and move fast, Missy headed for the
trees, glancing behind her every few feet to gauge how quickly the lumbering
beast behind her was gaining ground. She zigged and zagged, hoping to confuse
him, weaving in and out of tall grass clumps and hoping that they provided some
modicum of cover. The first stand of bushes and trees loomed closer, no more
than the length of a football field away, and Missy felt a burst of hope surge
through her, enabling her to pick up her pace despite her fatigue. She glanced
back and realized that she didn’t have much time – her captor was moving faster
than she was – she had to find a hiding place and fast.
    Making
a beeline for the closest and thickest clump of trees, Missy found herself no
longer able to avoid stepping in water. The entire area was soggy, with areas
of standing water that grew