Free Coastal Cottage Calamity (A Logan Dickerson Cozy Mystery Book 2) by Abby L. Vandiver Page A

when Miss Vivee entered because Viola Rose never
failed to be there to greet her.
    Everything on Viola
Rose was shiny – the rings on her fingers, buttons on her blouse, the arm full
of bangles, even the buckles on her shoes. Pink and bedazzled – her lips were
glossy, her eyeshadow shimmery and her eyes sparkled when she smiled. She wore
her strawberry blond hair teased high. The bouffant nest to a gaggle of pens.
    “Good lawd! Did ya
hear about all the commotion?” Viola Rose said as we walked in the door.
    “What commotion?”
Miss Vivee said, she stretched her neck trying to look past Viola Rose to find
Mac. When she saw him I saw her eyes light up as she smiled at him.
    “That Ron Anderson
and his wife, Chuckie,” Viola Rose said. “For God’s sake, what kind of name is
that for a woman?”
    “Charlie,” I
corrected.
    “Is that supposed
to be better,” she said, eyes big. “They come in here this morning and that man
was having a duck fit. Passing out flyers and talking about your grandson.”
    “Do tell,” Miss
Vivee said, eyes back on Viola Rose.
    “Said black people
oughta know their place.” Viola Rose glanced over at me before she continued. “That
he wasn’t a real FBI nothing and that Bay couldn’t tell him what to do.” Viola
Rose was getting worked up at the memory. “Thought he was talking to a
restaurant full of plain ole white folk, when all along he was talking to the
folks that love Bay like he was they own. Hell, we all helped raise that boy.”
    “Ron Anderson
better be glad I didn’t hear him say anything about my grandson.”
    “Oh, don’t think I
didn’t let him know. I was ‘bout two shakes offa’ jerking a knot in his tail.
Acting like the sun comes up just to hear him crow. We all knew that he was lyin’
lower than a no-legged dog. Talkin’ ‘bout he was going to own the whole town
after the reading of the will.”
    “What will?” Miss
Vivee asked.
    “Dang if I know,”
her voice went up two octaves. “I’m guessing he meant Oliver’s, but I never
heard tell of him having one. That Ron Anderson ain’t nothing but a snake in
the grass.”
    “I got my snake
gun loaded, Viola Rose,” Miss Vivee said with a wink. “And you know I don’t
miss.”
    “Ha! Miss Vivee
they gonna have to tie you down once you die, just to keep you from getting’
back up.”
    “Don’t plan on
dying, Viola Rose. At least no time soon.”
    “I hear ya.”
    “But, I will get
white-eyed and faint right in the middle of your diner if you don’t get me
seated and give me something to eat.”
    “I say. Sorry
‘bout that Miss Vivee.” Viola Rose grabbed a couple of menus and leaned in
close. “Gus said I gotta give everybody a menu now.” She glanced over at Gus
cooking on the grill and then back at Miss Vivee. She lowered her voice. “Mac’s
here. And so is Koryn. It’s Saturday, you know she came for my Shepard’s Pie.
Want to sit with either of them? Or just you and Logan?”
    “I’m here to meet
with Mac,” Miss Vivee said, raising her chin up an inch.
    “Do tell,” Miss
Vivee said, a smile appearing on her face as wide as the Mississippi.
    “Viola Rose, I’ve
told you about your insinuations. Don’t let them spill over on to me and mine.”
    Viola Rose
chuckled as she walked over to Mac’s table, which was just one over from where Koryn
was seated. Miss Vivee and I paused long enough to say “Hi,” to her then
scooted into our seats opposite Mac. Viola Rose placed the menus on the table
and left to go get coffee for a customer who’d requested it as we passed his
table.
    I put my arm over
the back of the purple, red and yellow striped booth and pushed up. “Hey,
Koryn,” I said and she twisted around so she could see me. “You want to join
us?”
    “No. I’ve got my
book.” She held up a hard cover.
    “Oh. Okay,” I
said. “No more Saturday dinners at Jellybean’s, huh?”
    “No,” she said.
“After the people, Gus’ Shepard Pie is what I’ll