Free Fixin' To Die (A Kenni Lowry Mystery Book 1) by Tonya Kappes

of my Poppa’s from when he was sheriff.”
    “He was such a good sheriff.” A smile crossed her orange lips. “He would’ve been all over these crimes. Not that you aren’t. Now, what about that pin? I bet it would fetch a pretty penny.”
    “Oh no.” I shook my head and pointed to it on my shirt. “I’m not selling it. I want to wear it on my uniform but I need one of those butterfly clasps to keep it on.”
    “Darling,” Ruby held her bag in the air, “I would say it was your lucky day, but it clearly hasn’t been. But I just so happen to have picked up a bunch when I went antiquing yesterday in Clay’s Ferry.” She opened the bag and put her hand in, pulling out a handful of clasps and extending her palm to me. “I didn’t go back to the shop after I found these gems and I was going to put them out today.”
    Clay’s Ferry was another small town known for their antique shops. In order to get there, people had to drive through Cottonwood, which was why Ruby decided to open her shop.
    “That is so strange.” My head cocked at the coincidence of her having exactly what I needed. “How much for one?”
    She put them back in the bag, keeping one in her pincer.
    “Take it.” She stuck it in my palm and curled her hand around it, making mine into a fist. “Maybe wearing the pin will give you some mojo to help solve the crimes like your Poppa would’ve.”
    I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly shut it when she tapped the bottom of my chin.
    “It’s not ladylike to gawk with your mouth open. If you let your mama mother you, I’m sure she’d have taught you that. I’ll see you tonight.” She turned away as if her jab was everyday talk and darted across the street, but not without flipping the bird to another car that almost hit her.

Chapter Nine

      
    By the time I got home, it was dark. There was no sense in going to Kim’s Buffett this late. It wasn’t like I was going to get any more answers about Doc’s murder tonight and any evidence wouldn’t be back this quick.
    I owned a little cottage off Broadway Street on the south side of Cottonwood, known as “Free Row.” Everyone in town knew exactly where that was and not many people thought it was a good thing.
    Most of the people who lived on my street were on commodity cheese and food stamps. Yeah, there were cars in the front yard propped up on cement blocks, ripped-up couches on porches, and maybe an unruly teenager or two—who didn’t think I knew they were unruly—but I gave them the stare down if I saw them outside to put a little fear in them. No one on Free Row ever bothered me or they knew I’d be loading more than my washer and dryer.
    Living on Free Row didn’t bother me. My house wasn’t much, but it was my Poppa’s and he’d left it to me in his will. Duke and I enjoyed it and that was all that mattered.
    “Hey, buddy.” Duke had his paws and nose pressed up on the front window. When I opened the door, I saw the blinds had come crashing down on the hardwood. I bent down and gave him a good scratch while I let him lick my face. “You smell like Jolee’s food truck.”
    I pulled back and looked at his nose. The edges were dotted with white powder. Duke was known to get into baking flour a time or two and I was sure today was no different.
    I picked up the blinds and shook them toward him. “I guess another set of blinds bite the dust.” I leaned them up against the wall.
    Screwing them back up was going to have to wait. I was tired, I needed a bath, and I was hungry.
    He tucked tail and darted off down the small hallway.
    My house was small. It had two bedrooms on the far end of the house with a Jack and Jill bathroom between them. The family room and kitchen were down the small hall on the opposite side of the bedrooms. The family room was in the front of the house. Behind it, in the back of the house, was the kitchen.
    A good cup of decaf coffee would be nice after a long hot shower, plus I needed to let Duke