Free Real Murder (Lovers in Crime Mystery Book 2) by Lauren Carr Page B

said with a grin. “I know who and I know why.”
    Cameron glanced across the table at Jan, whose face was white. She’s got quite a lot of details for someone who supposedly imagined this. “When did this happen? How long ago?”
    “Friday the thirteenth,” Dolly said.
    Cameron was still staring at Dolly in shock when there was a commotion behind them.
    Sheriff Curt Sawyer jumped out of his seat when a full glass of water landed in his lap.
    “Oh, I am so sorry.” Phillip Lipton grabbed a handful of paper napkins and tried to mop up the spill as best he could. But the glass of water had been full and had gotten all over. “The glass just slipped out of my hand.”
    Meanwhile, the front of Curt’s uniform looked like he had peed his pants. Cursing, the sheriff stomped off to the men’s restroom. The congresswoman and the detective moved out of the booth to allow room for the server, armed with napkins and paper towels, to clean up.
    As humiliating as it was, Cameron couldn’t help but smile at the crime lab chief’s embarrassment. Lipton glanced up in their direction while helping the server mop. Dolly giggled out loud at the scene. Lipton turned red all the way across his face and up across his bald scalp.
    Meanwhile, Lorraine shook her head while making “tsk-tsk” noises with her tongue. “Idiot.”
    “I wouldn’t be so quick to judge about who’s the idiot,” Cameron muttered. “I’ll bet he knows how long an eternity in hell is.”
    Hearing her, Dolly burst into another round of giggles while clapping her hands with delight. “You are such a clever girl.” Grasping her hand in her wrinkled paw, she said, “I like you. I have a feeling you’re going to be the one to find Ava’s killer.”
    “Thank you.”
    “You’re such a pretty girl.”
    Cameron blushed.
    “Such a shame about your breasts,” the old woman said with a shake of her head.
    Cameron glanced down at her chest. “What’s wrong with them?”
    “They aren’t perky enough.”

Chapter Seven
    It wasn’t until Joshua had pulled up in front of the little white house located one block up the hill from Rock Springs Boulevard that he realized how long it had been since he had visited his childhood friend’s home. Mike Gardner had been his best friend. Yet in the decade since he had been back in Chester, Joshua had never stopped by to visit Mike’s parents—until this moment.
    Stopping by to visit Mike’s parents at the same home where Joshua used to hang out with his best bud would confirm that Mike was no longer around. He was missing. Presumed dead.
    Now he was truly gone—his body was in Tad’s morgue.
    There was no denying it any longer.
    After sucking in a deep breath, Joshua let it out, unhooked his seatbelt, and climbed out of his SUV to descend the steps down to the two-bedroom house built into the hillside that made up the oldest part of Chester.
    Cynthia Gardner, Mike’s mother, opened the door before Joshua had the opportunity to ring the doorbell. Her eyes were red rimmed. She clutched a worn tissue in her wrinkled hand. “Josh … it is him, isn’t it?”
    Joshua nodded his head.
    She clutched his arm in both hands and sobbed. “I should be relieved. Now I know, but I guess … as long as there was no word, then there was a tiny bit of hope. Now … it’s gone.”
    “I am so sorry.” Joshua wrapped his arm around her, eased her across the threshold, and closed the door.
    He half-expected to find Lyle Gardner sitting in his easy chair in the living room. Seeing the worn, blue recliner, he recalled that as children, they knew better than to sit in Mike’s father’s chair. Seeing it empty, he asked, “Where’s Mr. Gardner?”
    “He’s at the club.” She wiped her nose with the tissue. “He spends a lot of time there now—ever since …” Her voice trailed off.
    She offered Joshua a seat. Still too intimidated to take the recliner, he chose to sit on the sofa. “I’m hoping that … with our finding