Free Watchin' The Detective: A Mystery Dinner Romance by Louise Hathaway

meeting at 10. If I don’t show up for my own
meeting, I’ll never hear the end of it. Dragging herself out of
bed, she jumps into the shower as her mind immediately clicks back
into Karen Black mode. She is trying to organize all the facts
she’s discovered as she shampoos her hair. Stepping out of the
shower, she sees her tired self in the mirror. It’s been a rough
night. Maybe this is what old spinsters look like, she tells
herself .

Chapter Sixteen
     
     
    Isabella is late for work and hurries past
the courthouse and Joshua’s coffee cart. He has a long line and is
deep into mixing up coffee drinks for the overwhelmed public
thirsting for caffeine fixes. She smiles and looks his way, but
he’s too busy to notice her. Slipping quietly in the back door of
the library, she tip-toes past the office of the director hoping
she doesn’t notice she’s late.
    “Good morning, Isabella. Had another late
night?” the director says to her, without looking up.
    Sheepishly, Isabella replies, “I’m sorry Mrs.
Rogers. I just lost track of time.”
    “Please try not to make a habit of this.
Nicole has been looking all over for you. Something about a meeting
you scheduled?”
    “Yes, thank you. I’ll just go and speak with
her.”
    Isabella slinks over to her desk and sees
Nicole glaring at her, not saying a word. Two men are sitting with
Nicole, looking very much out of place there in the library in
their three piece suits. Nicole gets up and excusing herself, walks
over to Isabella’s desk.
    “Where have you been? It’s past 9 o’clock
already! Did you forget the meeting you scheduled with these
publishers?”
    “I’m so sorry, Nicole, I just lost track of
time. I thought the meeting was at 10. Why are they here so
early?”
    “Ten? You told me it was nine.” Nicole passes
her a note written by Isabella clearly showing the meeting was to
be at nine.
    “Geez Nicole, I’m losing my mind. I’m so
sorry. Please forgive me. Why don’t we get the meeting started and
get this over with.”
    They walk back to Nicole’s desk as both men
stand and shake hands, exchanging all the required niceties. They
all gather in the conference room and begin to talk about books and
publishing. Even though Isabella arranged this meeting, Nicole has
found herself doing most of the talking, working out the
arrangements for new books and subscription details. Isabella
smiles blankly and thinks about nothing but Karen Black. The
conversation fades in and out of her ears, but the image of Karen
Black sticks in her mind. Finally, after an hour of talking and
proposals, everyone stands, shakes hands and agrees on a follow-up
meeting next month at the same time. Isabella offers her apologies
again and promises she’ll be better prepared next time. Nicole
walks out with them and Isabella returns to her desk. Fighting the
urge to return to Karen, she start’s working through her email,
sorting the good and bad and answering those that she can. Nicole
returns and motions for her to follow her to the conference room.
Nicole shuts the door behind her and they both sit down.
    “What is going on with you, girl?” Nicole
asks. “You’re a million miles away!”
    “I can’t stop thinking about that night. That
night at the mystery dinner theater. After our visit, or maybe I
should say, my visit to the restaurant yesterday, I came away with
more questions than when I came.”
    “Isabella, are you going nuts in love with
that detective? Is that what it is?”
    “Well, it’s that too. I mean, I can’t stop
thinking about him, sure. I just can’t stop thinking about the poor
woman, that widow. Something about her is making me crazy.”
    “I guess so!” Nicole says.
    “Nicole, last night I spent four hours
researching the woman and what I’ve found only makes me wonder
more! It’s like I’ve stumbled into a mystery story in a parallel
universe!”
    “Did you drink something funny last
night?”
    “No, no. I was totally sober. No