Free Football is Murder (Bee's Bakehouse Cozy Mysteries Book 4) (Bee's Bakehouse Mysteries) by Kathy Cranston Page A

over the case file. What is it?”
    She gasped as the excitement and fear and nerves began to crescendo. Had she cracked this thing? “My neighbor, Chad Denver. I woke up and heard something. It looks like he’s crashed into his gate on the way out of his home. Just now.”
    She waited, hoping the chief wouldn’t tell her to quit daydreaming and get back to sleep. He didn’t.
    “Really?” he said soberly. “And is he still there now?”
    Jessie darted through the house to where a bemused-looking Melanie still stood beside the window. “Yes,” she said, breathlessly. “What do you think he’s up to?”
    The chief sighed. “I have no idea, Jessie. But you’re right. It does seem strange. I’ll check it out.”
    “Okay,” she breathed, relieved.
    “Jessie?” he said sharply.
    “Yes?”
    He cleared his throat. “Where are you now?”
    “In my house. With Melanie.”
    “Okay. That’s good. You stay there now.”
    Jessie’s eyes widened at the sound of an engine revving. Seconds later, the lights moved across the room and it was dark again, as the SUV sped off in the direction of the town.
    “He’s getting away,” she cried.
    “Oh, I’ll catch up with him,” Chief Daly said softly. “Which way did he go?”
    * * *
    It was a long night. Jessie had returned to bed, but she was soon back in the living room staring out the window. Toby ran happy circles around her ankles. Before long, Melanie had joined them.
    “Couldn’t sleep,” she said quickly, just as Jessie was about to apologize for waking her again.
    Jessie didn’t want to know what time it was—she could tell from the dark blue sky that it was getting closer and closer to dawn. She needed to be up in just a few short hours to go set up the café. But how was she supposed to sleep knowing the chief had gone out in search of her neighbor?
    She wouldn’t relax until she heard from him. Sure, he was tough. But if her neighbor had something to hide? She hoped the chief had woken Pete Kendall or Officer Stanley to join him. Or maybe it had all turned out to be a big nothing and the real killer was still out there.
    “It hasn’t been that long,” Melanie smiled, moving slowly through the room and sitting on the couch.
    Jessie hadn’t turned on the lights in case her neighbor came back before the police had intercepted him. She didn’t want him to suspect that she had seen him leave.
    “Earth to Jessie?” Melanie laughed.
    Jessie shook her head and smiled. “Just thinking through the possibilities.”
    “Nothing’s changed with you then? Still as much of a worrier as ever?”
    “I guess,” Jessie admitted. “It’s just if anything happens to Chief Daly—”
    “Nothing’s going to happen to the chief,” Melanie laughed. “ I know that, and you know him far better than me. The guy is tough as they come, even though he likes to hide behind that laidback gentleman vibe he’s got going.”
    “You’re right,” Jessie whispered. “Oh, I hope they catch him.” She hugged a pillow to her chest, feeling the nighttime chill start to cut through her t-shirt.
    “They will.”
    They lapsed into silence again.
    Just as Jessie felt her eyelids start to droop, her phone buzzed on the kitchen bench.
    “Maybe that’s him,” she blurted, dashing for the kitchen and scaring a sleeping Toby in the process.
    Sure enough, the chief’s name was flashing on her screen.
    “Hello,” she whispered.
    “We got him. I’ll call later.” There was none of the chief’s usual calm.
    Jessie put the phone down and turned to Melanie. “All I know is they’ve got him. The chief didn’t say any more. Must be in the middle of something.”
    That was all Jessie needed to know, though. Now that her mind was at ease, she felt the tiredness she’d been fighting seep through her body. She picked up Toby and shuffled through the house to her bedroom.
    * * *
    BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
    It seemed like no time at all since Jessie had climbed into bed exhausted.