Free Deep Fried Trouble (Eugeena Patterson Mysteries) by Tyora Moody

the matter, I almost didn’t tell any of them about my diabetes diagnosis. So many things change as you get older.
    I glanced up to see the exit sign. Soon enough we would arrive in front of the apartment complex where my daughter had lived for at least a year now. I helped her move into the apartment. Anytime she relocated for whatever reason, I was there to assist with packing her belongings. If I didn’t come to help, she would throw her belongings in boxes any old kind of way. No newspaper, towels or anything to try to cushion her breakables. That child never did learn how to appreciate her things.
    We finally arrived at the apartment complex, an aluminum-sided ove rnight building project. The row after row of boxed-shaped buildings didn’t appear very appealing. At least the landscape had finally grown since I had been there last. Now snapdragons, red, purple and yellow lined the sidewalk. 
    “Amos, you can pull over there. Her apartment is in the Q section.” I didn’t see any signs of Leesa’s car, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been around.
    Amos parked the car and then we sat. A curtain in the window right across from us shifted.  It appeared Leesa’s downstairs neighbor was keeping an eye on things. Was she looking for Leesa too?
    Amos prodded me. “You want me to come up with you or will you be okay?”
    Did he think I was going to choke her if I saw her? That thought occurred to me, but I really wanted to find her. “I will be fine.” I stepped out into the blazing hot sun. The sidewalk reflected the sunlight back into my eyes. I placed my Terminator shades on today. My children hated them, but they fit rather nicely over my bifocals.
    I grimaced when I rounded the corner. The apar tments had the kind of stairwell that dared you to take it on. It wasn’t like I didn’t have stairs of my own to deal with it at home, but at least mine were carpeted and didn’t seem as steep. Or quite so many.  One foot after the other, my extra pounds mocked as I climbed. I knocked on the door labeled Q7. With no response, I increased the intensity of my banging.
    Someone else’s door creaked open below.
    “Boy, didn’t I tell you that girl wasn’t there. Why you keep doing all that banging?”
    Boy?   I walked over to the railing and leaned over as far as I dared. “I’m not a boy, but I am this girl’s mother. Have you seen her?”
    “Oh my.”
    I heard shuffling and soon found a face glowering up at me.  The woman appeared to be about my age or slightly older. She had a short white hair that from a distance looked liked lamb’s wool.
    “You’re her mother. Well, I’m sho’ glad to see you. That girl needs to get her some new friends.”
    I went towards the top of the staircase and began to descend. “Friends? Are you saying somebody else has been here looking for her?”
    “Only that boyfriend of hers. At least I guess he is. He used to always be here, but then I got the i mpression she might have kicked him to the curb.”
    I’d reached the bottom of the steps. The woman must have been no taller than 4’11.  With my 5’3 frame, I felt like I towered over her. “Are you Mrs. Hattie?”
    “Yes, I am. How did you know my name?”
    “Kisha has mentioned your name a few times.”
    “Oh, that’s my girl. Just as sweet as she can be. I do watch her from time to time. But I haven’t seen Leesa in a few days though. Usually when she works nights, I keep Kisha for her. Now, when she had the other baby, I told her I might have to charge extra. Babies can be fussy. Anyway, I hadn’t heard from her, so I figured she’d found someone else to babysit. Looks like she got you.”
    No, she didn’t. I loved my grandkids, but I’d raised three kids a lready. Besides that, where was the father? Was this young man possibly related to Tyric? “Do you by any chance know where I can find this man?”
    Hattie scrunched her face. The woman looked like she was in pain. “I don’t know.”
    Now I felt