Free Death Before Diamonds (Sky High Pies Cozy Mysteries Book 10) by Mary Maxwell

hand.”
    “Did he have his backpack?”
    Trent mumbled something.
    “What was that?” I asked.
    “How well do you know this guy,
Katie?”
    “He came by Sky High yesterday and
again this morning,” I explained. “There was a blue backpack over his shoulder
both times.”
    “Do you know where he’s from?” Trent
asked.
    “I’m thinking Philadelphia,” I
answered. “He’s here in Colorado trying to find his missing brother.”
    “Does Rex think he was in Crescent
Creek?”
    “He doesn’t think it,” I
said. “He knows it. Rex’s brother took a selfie last week on the front
porch at Sky High.”
    “I hate that word,” Trent grumbled.
    “Which one—selfie?”
    “Yeah. It makes me think of all
those self-obsessed Hollywood types.”
    “Or my sister,” I said. “And
Blanche Speltzer. And Homer Figg. And about ten gazillion other people in
town.”
    “Are you telling me that they go
around taking pictures of themselves?”
    “Yes, but so do a lot of people all
around the world. It’s not just a celebrity thing.”
    “Well, I still hate the word,” he
said.
    “Duly noted,” I offered. “Now, can
we get back to Rex Greer? You said that Amanda found him with a couple of
lacerations, but his backpack was gone?”
    “I don’t know about the bag,” Trent
said. “And he didn’t tell her much because the paramedics got there about five
seconds later and started treating his injuries.”
    “Is that it?”
    “That’s all I know so far, Katie.
If you do go by the hospital, make sure—”
    “I know, I know! Make sure I pass
along anything relevant that Rex says.”
    Trent laughed. “Yeah, that’d be
nice,” he said. “But I was going to say that you should definitely check out
the butterscotch squares in the cafeteria. I grabbed a couple earlier and they’re
delicious!”
    “Thanks for the tip,” I said. “And
take care—”
    The phone squealed as Trent hung
up.
    “—of that thumb,” I said, finishing
the thought.

CHAPTER
14
     
     
    Rex Greer was propped up in bed against
a mountain of pillows when I peeked into his hospital room around ten o’clock. He was sipping from a white cup and staring blankly at the television mounted
on the wall. I knocked gingerly on the door and waited.
    “Hey, it’s you,” he said with a
drowsy twang. “What are you doing here?”
    I took a few tentative steps
closer. Stephen Castle from the Crescent Creek PD was just outside the door,
but I still wanted to approach Rex carefully. He’d been agitated when we talked
at Sky High earlier in the day, and I had no idea what the medication and
post-surgery haze might do to the raging thoughts about his brother.
    “I heard that you wanted me to stop
by,” I said.
    “Oh, yeah.” Rex’s voice was garbled
and soggy. “That’s right.”
    I motioned at the plastic chair
beside his bed. “Do you mind if I sit?”
    “Sure,” he said. “Make yourself at
home. I’m going to be here for a couple of days, so I’m pretending it’s my new
apartment.”
    I smiled and nodded at the flat screen
on the wall. “Looks like the guy was already by to install your cable.”
    The limp joke was lost on Rex. His
mouth squirmed left and then right as he tried to understand the meaning. When
he finally asked me to explain, I apologized for the weak attempt at humor.
    “Oh, that was supposed to be
funny?” he said.
    I shrugged, moved the chair so I
would have an unobstructed view of his face and sat down.
    “It was, but let’s not worry about
it.”
    “Then I don’t understand,” he said.
“The TV was here when I woke up.”
    “I know, Rex. It’s my fault; the
joke related to your comment about pretending this is your new apartment.”
    His eyes slowly expanded and a
smile appeared. “Oh, now I get it!” He laughed for a few seconds, but
then winced and reached for his left side. “But don’t tell me anything else
funny. It hurts too much.”
    “Then maybe I should go,” I
suggested. “I can come back