Free Sage Advice to Cover Up a Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 2) by Phoebe T. Eggli

about it, too. He couldn’t recall the last time his dad took a vacation from work, much less to spend time with him. The young boy realized that the circumstances weren’t ideal, being neck deep in a murder investigation, but he would take whatever attention he could get from his dad.
     
    After making up the guest bedroom and cleaning the kitchen, Logan stepped out onto the back deck to make a call. Frankly, he was more nervous about the call than his dad’s impending arrival. He knew he had to do it though. He had to speak to Emily. Considering the media circus from yesterday, he didn’t expect she would give him the time of day if she believed any of that garbage. Regardless, he had to at least try to get her to understand that neither he nor his aunt had anything to do with her grandfather’s death. As he listened to the phone ring, he held his breath. Silently he prayed, “Please, just answer the phone.”
     
    A raspy voice, as if the person had been crying a lot, answered “Hello”. It nearly broke Logan’s heart to hear it. Without thinking, he asked how she was doing. The exasperated sigh on her end of the line let him know it was a ridiculous question. How was she supposed to be doing? Emily politely answered anyway. After an awkward silence, she asked wearily, “Logan, what do you want?”
     
    Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he wanted. He knew he wanted her to be okay. He knew he wanted to make her pain go away. He wanted a lot of things, but right now couldn’t find his voice to say as much. “I just needed to know you were okay. With everything that’s happened, I kind of figured you would be upset, angry, sad….,” his voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words.
     
    “Logan, I don’t know how I’m feeling right now. No, I’m not okay. My grandfather is dead. Just a day or two ago, we believed he died of a heart attack while fishing. That was rather comforting to know that he passed away doing something he really loved. Now, the news reported that the cops believe he was murdered. To add to that, it was more than insinuated that you and your aunt had something to do with it! I’m confused! I’m heartbroken! I don’t know what to believe or think right now,” she ended with a heart-wrenching sob.
     
    Logan wanted to cry right along with her. He reassured her that neither he nor his aunt had anything to do with her beloved grandfather’s death. He pleaded with her to believe him. They had no reason to want to hurt anyone, much less kill someone. The young man swore he especially would never do anything that would hurt Emily. He truly cared about her and valued their friendship.
     
    She acknowledged that the idea that they killed her grandfather with poisoned bread seemed ridiculous. Besides, the only evidence the cops had were dead seagulls. “How bizarre is that?” she asked. Emily didn’t want to believe her grandfather was killed. Her grandmother certainly didn’t put any faith in the accusation. She even remarked how the news had agitated her grandmother so badly that she had ranted for hours last night. There had been a huge argument when her father arrived back at the house. Both had calmed down somewhat this morning, but things were definitely tense in the household.
     
    The two teenagers discussed the situation at length, but could not come up with any answers. Logan was so relieved Emily believed in him, that he was on cloud nine when they hung up the phone. He went back inside just as the front door bell rang. Nervous that it could be reporters again or the cops, he peered out a side window first. It was his dad! “He must’ve sped the entire way if he’s already here,” he thought.
     
    The look on John David Jones face as his son opened the door was one of both fatigue and tension. He stepped inside and caught his son up in a huge bear hug. Logan realized his father had not done that since he was a small boy. He tried not to weep as he tightly squeezed his