Tragic Toppings by Jessica Beck Read Free Book Online

cheeseburger, a salad, and a plate of fried chicken.
    “Dibs on the cheeseburger,” I said before she could set the tray down.
    “There’s no need to arm wrestle for it,” Trish said. She pointed to the tray, and then said, “Allison, check the order, and then look at your tray.”
    “I got it right this time. You’re at Table Nine,” Allison said proudly. She had shiny black hair, fair skin, and the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. All in all, she was a pretty girl. It was just too bad that she didn’t have anywhere close to the intellect to match.
    “The only problem with that is that we’re at Table Six,” Trish said. I noticed that she was keeping her temper and attitude in check, something that I wouldn’t have sworn she’d be able to do. What did Lilly have on her, anyway?
    “Does that mean the cheeseburger isn’t mine?” I asked.
    “Sorry,” Trish said. She stood and gathered everything together and placed it back on the tray. “I’ll be right back.”
    She turned to her newest employee and said softly, “You. Come with me.”
    Allison followed closely behind, and I could see a fleeting expression of worry on her face. I couldn’t blame her for being concerned. I doubted Trish would keep her on after all of the mistakes she’d been making, regardless of the possibility that she’d have to incur Lilly’s wrath.
    Trish vanished into the kitchen after she delivered the food to the right table, and soon reappeared with our food on her tray.
    “Sorry about that,” she said as she served us.
    “Where’s Allison?” I asked as I took my plate from her.
    “She’s taking the rest of the night off,” Trish said.
    “You didn’t fire her?” I couldn’t believe it.
    “I have to wait it out,” Trish said with a shrug. “Do me a favor, okay? Can we just eat and forget about it?”
    “That’s a fine idea,” I said, trying to lighten the tone of my voice. For the moment, it was important that I put my own situation on the back burner so I could enjoy this time with my friends. If being involved with police investigations in the past had taught me anything, it was that it was important not to take the people I cared about for granted.
    We had a fine meal, and after we were finished, Grace and I helped Trish gather up our dirty dishes.
    “Thanks for everything,” I said as Trish walked us out.
    I laid enough cash on the counter to cover our meals, and as Trish rang it up, she took the money and said, “Thank you. I feel a little guilty charging you.”
    “But just a little, right?” I asked.
    “Just a little.”
    I smiled at her. “If it helps, I stiffed you on the tip.”
    Trish grinned back at me. “That helps exactly the right amount. Good night, you two. I had a lot of fun. See you both soon.”
    Grace and I walked out of the diner and I felt the light touch of the September air in the approaching dusk. It was just a little cool now, though the day had been warm, and I knew that colder weather wasn’t far from coming to stay in our part of North Carolina.
    As we left the abandoned train tracks and neared the park, Grace said, “I don’t know how you didn’t freak out all of the time at night living here as a kid.” She hadn’t been allowed out much after dark when we were growing up, while my parents had no problem with letting me roam the park practically anytime I liked. Grace added, “There are so many shadows around here that I still see bad guys behind every tree and bush.”
    “You hung out with me enough growing up,” I said. “You never seemed to be scared of this place then.”
    “That’s because we were almost always together when we played here,” Grace said, “and we can’t forget the fact that I had to go in at the first hint of dusk.”
    “If you can believe it, I find the shadows comforting,” I admitted. “Everything’s familiar, and yet just a little different. Besides, it’s not like it’s completely dark yet. The moon’s putting off enough