Free Death of the Couch Potato's Wife: Cozy Christian Mysteries (Women Sleuth, Female Detective Suspense) by Christy Barritt Page B

mentioned Candace. I took a sip of my soda and leaned back, trying to eavesdrop. Yes, my mother taught me manners. I just chose to forget them for the time being.
    A female voice said, “Everyone knows that Jerry’s a no- good cheater.”
    “But that doesn’t make him a killer.”
    “Who do you think did it, then?”
    “Maybe it was—”
    “Fancy seeing you here, chickaroonie!”
    I jumped and splashed soda all over my blouse. I gasped and grabbed a napkin as the icy liquid chilled my skin. “Babe!”
    “Thought you saw me come in. Sorry ’bout that.” She slid onto the seat across from me and ordered some hot chocolate. “Cold day out there.”
    “Even colder now,” I muttered, still wiping at my wet shirt. She didn’t seem to hear me or notice the spill. Maybe it was the sunglasses she was wearing—stylishly oversized and so dark I’m surprised she recognized me.
    “Heard about your shed. Freaky.”
    “Freaky,” I repeated. And it was. How much could I tell Babe? Could I tell her about the threats? The phone call? The letter? No, I decided. The fewer people who knew, the better.
    Babe reapplied her pink lipstick under the guidance of the mirror on her powder compress. “Shouldn’t you be at home cooking for Kent?”
    I scowled, and threw my napkin on the counter. “He’s working late.”
    She lowered the mirror and peered at me. “Doing that a lot lately, huh?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Could be worse. He could be lazy like Jerry.”
    I nodded. “Point taken.” I ignored the chilly liquid splattered across the front of my shirt and turned toward my friend. “Babe, I just met my new neighbors—”
    “Are they nice? Italian, I hear. I bet she makes a mean meatball.”
    “Yes, but that’s beside the point. The woman—Gia is her name—she said that she saw Jerry after she arrived in Boring. She moved here four or five days ago—when Jerry was supposed to be out of town.”
    “Now that’s juicy news.”
    “Should I go to the police with it?”
    “Probably. They’ll figure things out. I hope.”
    I raised an eyebrow. I hope. My thoughts exactly. Just how reliable were the police here in Boring, Indiana? I’d bet they spent more time playing Halo than they did solving real crimes. They had the bellies to prove it.
    Babe eyed my meal.
    “I always took you as more of a salad type of girl,” Babe said.
    “I’m splurging.” So were my hips, but no need to mention that.
    I glanced over my shoulder quickly, trying to get a glimpse of who had been mentioning Jerry a moment ago. Of course, who in town hadn’t been mentioning Jerry lately? I spotted a lady from church and her sister sipping milkshakes. I couldn’t remember their names, but they seemed nice enough. Their voices were low now, and I couldn’t make out a thing they said.
    “Everything okay?” Babe snitched one of my fries.
    I shrugged. “I suppose. After I eat this heart attack on a plate, I guess I’ll make my way over to the police station. I’ll see what they say about Jerry. Maybe they have an update.”

    “Take that, scum bag!”
    Okay, so it wasn’t the combat video game Halo. It was video game Mortal Combat. But there Chief Romeo and Officer Maloney were, sitting in a back office at the police station with controllers in their hands. They didn’t even hear me come in.
    I cleared my throat and set my purse on the front desk with a loud thump. Both men jumped, dropping their remotes, and tripped over themselves to get to the front. Officer Maloney’s face flushed. I had to give him credit for at least looking embarrassed. I supposed if they couldn’t catch the real bad guys, maybe it made them feel better to catch fake, video game ones.
    “Well, hello Mrs. Berry. What brings you in?” Romeo tucked his shirt into his pants as he approached me at the desk. Beyond him I could see an empty jail cell—a jail cell where a killer should be right now. Candace may not have been well liked, but she deserved justice. Everyone