Free Cover Story by Erika Chase Page A

things, be it four- or two-legged.” She paused, wondering if Molly had heard about the other body. Should she have even mentioned it? She hadn’t meant to but, as usual, there it was.
    â€œI know. Bob is over here. He picked up some takeout and we’re just about to eat. He’s very upset that the body was found right out in his backyard, such as it is.”
    â€œDid he know the guy?”
    â€œHe said they haven’t been able to identify him as yet. The face was apparently damaged.”
    Lizzie could hear the revulsion in Molly’s voice. Better to have this discussion with Bob.
    â€œWell, I’m glad he’s there with you for a while. Enjoy the evening and I’ll call you tomorrow morning.”
    â€œThanks, honey. I look forward to that.”
    Lizzie wondered if Molly meant the morning phone call or the evening with Bob. She fixed herself a tuna salad and sat down to read. Teensy had emailed her the manuscript as promised. She turned on her iPad, checked the page count and groaned. She’d be reading all night, maybe all week.
    Her meal was long finished and the light in the room starting to fade when the phone rang, pulling her out of the plot.
    â€œLizzie, it’s Mark. I thought I’d take a short break. Do you have the fixings for a cheese sandwich if I stop by?”
    â€œToasted?”
    â€œUh-huh. I’ll see you shortly.” She hung up and turned on a table lamp in the living room, then went into the kitchen to start fixing the sandwich. She also pulled a Coors out of the fridge. One beer wouldn’t hurt, even though he was still working.
    She’d flipped the sandwich out of the grill and onto a plate as the back door opened. Mark entered and walked over to where she stood at the counter with her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck on the left side.
    â€œHey. I hope you’re Mark and not some housebreaking lowlife because I’d hate to have to report you, that feels so good.”
    Mark laughed. “Fickle woman. Umm. That smells good. Thank you.” He spotted the beer on the counter and flipped the tab off. After taking a long drink he poured the rest into a glass.
    Lizzie set his plate on the table and sat down across from him. He smiled and started eating. After a couple of bites he stopped long enough to say, “Tastes as good as a steak.”
    â€œThere must be a reason for such a hallucinatory statement. When did you last eat?”
    He shrugged. “Morning sometime. So my pal Patchett at least had a date with a beautiful gal tonight.”
    Lizzie felt herself blushing.
Come on now, you’ve slept with the guy and you’re still blushing?
“He was very well behaved. We walked then he retrieved for a while. And then he ate. His table manners still need polishing up.”
    Mark nodded and got back to his own meal, not talking again until he was finished. “Thank you, ma’am. I needed that.”
    â€œThank you for the ‘ma’am.’ Now I feel fifty years old.”
    â€œNot you. Not with that body.”
    â€œOh my, kind sir. How long did you say your break was?”
    He stood up and pulled her out of her chair, giving her a long, deep kiss that left her breathless. “Not long enough, I’m afraid.”
    â€œTime for a quickie? Espresso, I mean.”
    He grinned. “Yeah.”
    Mark sat back down while Lizzie made them each a cup. When she’d set it down in front of him she asked, “What’s this about a body being found at Bob’s place?”
    â€œI suppose the entire town knows by now. His prints are in the system but we’re not releasing any information as yet except that he was killed sometime midmorning. The postie found him around noon. There’s not much traffic on the road that time of day and most of the neighbors are too far apart, or not at home. It was pure luck Jacob Smith had taken the day off. Says he