Free Peril for Your Thoughts (Mind Reader Mystery) by Kari Lee Townsend Page B

Stevens puckered his brow as he scanned his notebook.
    “What is?” Jaz asked.
    “Well, there’s not much information on the guy. It’s like he has no family and not much of a past,” Nik said to her, then turned to me. “When I checked out his social media profile for Jaz, he had said he was an international businessman, but then I found a reference he made to selling cars. I had assumed at the time that he’d just slipped up to what his real occupation was. At the time Jaz hadn’t cared that he’d fudged a few details about his occupation to make himself look better, because she wasn’t interested in anything long term. Now I wish I had done an actual background check on the guy. Maybe then we would have avoided this whole mess. Now that I’ve had to do some deeper digging, there’s no other paper trail on the guy. It’s like he never existed.”
    “What does that mean?” I asked.
    “Nothing good,” the detective responded, giving Jaz a meaningful look.
    “Yeah yeah, I get it. Poor choices.” She sighed. “Story of my life.”
    “I suggest you write a new story, or you won’t have much of a life left,” he said gravely.
    Speaking of having no life, the door chimed once more and in walked my PR rep, Natasha Newlander. “Well, thanks for the update, Detective, but Jaz and I have to go. Lots of work to do, right Jaz?” I smiled brightly as I stood and grabbed my purse.
    “Uh, sure, yup, you got it.” She stood beside me, glanced at the detective, and shrugged. “Later gater,” she said to him as she followed me out. “Hey, boys,” she hollered to the back, drawing everyone’s attention, which was the last thing I wanted to do. “Put our lunch on my account. Thanks darlings.” She wiggled her fingers.
    I glared at her. “Did you have to be so loud?”
    “What’s up with you?”
    “Her,” I said in a low voice, jerking my head to the side.
    “You mean the stylish woman staring at you from across the room?”
    I closed my eyes. Just peachy. Then opened them wide and worked up a smile as I turned around. “Great to see you, Ms. Newlander, but as you can see we were just on our way out. Lots of work to do, and all. You know how it is.”
    She didn’t say a word. Just tapped her watch as if to say, Clock’s ticking, Ms. Ballas, and we both know how it will be if you don’t turn in your book of designs soon .
    “What on earth was all that about?” Jaz asked.
    “Story of my life.”

    On our way home, Jaz begged me to stop by Full Disclosure. There was crime scene tape across the door, letting everyone know it was closed, but that didn’t matter to Jaz. Her store was her baby. She’d worked long and hard to make this place a reality.
    “I hate seeing it this way,” she said as she stared in the front window. “I might as well be wearing a scarlet letter. People have always judged me, but I owned that judgment. I am who I am, like it or not. But this … this isn’t fair at all. I’m being punished for one stupid mistake, one more bad choice. I certainly didn’t want Darrin Wilcox dead, but I wish I’d never laid eyes on him.”
    “I know. This stinks for sure. Innocent until proven guilty, remember? And we both know you’re not guilty, so you have nothing to worry about.”
    “Tell that to the judge.” She snorted, then stared down at the ground, her shoulders slumping a bit.
    “It’ll be okay.” I dipped my head down so she could see my face. “Just know I’m hugging you on the inside.”
    That got a lopsided grin out of her. “I know.”
    “Unfreakingbelievable!” Maria Danza came charging out of her pastry shop across the street, followed by some mousy-looking woman who seemed dazed and confused.
    Jaz snapped her spine straight. “Always good to see you too, Maria.”
    “Save it for the jury. I don’t think you’ll be seeing anyone for quite some time after they get through with you.” She dusted flour off her apron-covered curves, a fine white powder drifting