Free Bound To Die: A Cozy Mystery (Strawberry Shores Mystery Book 1) by Mak K. Han Page A

drink and the cupcakes.”
    I bought the energy drink and the cupcakes. Alex cracked open the drink, scrawled a phone number on the back of the receipt, and handed it to Jimmy. Grinning, Jimmy stepped aside and knelt at the stack of TV monitors. “Okay, which one do you want?”
    I pointed to the one in the top left. “That one. The one that shows the pumps and the front door. That should work.”
    “Okay.” Jimmy positioned his finger on the rewind button. “Where do you want it?”
    “Last Saturday.” I leaned over the counter, watching the monitor intently as Jimmy rewound the tape. “Between six and eight.”
    Over my shoulder, the Little Debbie package crinkled. A small chocolate cupcake with pink frosting appeared beside my face. I accepted it, popped it into my mouth, and returned my eyes to the monitor. “Thurr!” I cried out, my mouth full of chocolate. “Thuds ut.”
    Jimmy pressed play. Sure enough, there was Susan and Chester walking into the parking lot. It looked like they were having a heated argument. “Okay, fast forward it a little bit.”
    Jimmy pressed fast forward. Susan and Chester buzzed around the parking lot at hyper speed, finally disappearing around the corner of the building. They emerged at about seven forty five.
    Half an hour after the murder, I thought to myself.
    “That's enough,” I said. “Thank you.”
    The three of us left.
    “That was amazing!” Emily exclaimed as soon as the door had closed behind us. “How did you get him to show you the tape?”
    “I asked him, and I knew he was lying when he answered. Then it was just a matter of figuring out what he wanted.” I gestured over my shoulder at Alex. “He wanted Alex. Apparently black lipstick goes a long way.”
    “Are you going to go on a date with him?” Emily asked.
    “No.”
    “Oh, don't say that,” I chided. “Who knows? Maybe he'll sweep you off your feet when he calls.”
    Alex giggled. “Well, that's the thing. That phone number I gave him? It's not my number. I think it connects to a dry cleaning service in Florida.”
    I sighed. “So why did I have to buy you an energy drink?”
    “I was thirsty. Thanks, by the way.”
    “And for the cupcakes. Do you want another cupcake, Laura?”
    “No, I don't want another cupcake. I want a lead.”
    “Well, there's only one person left,” Alex said. “And that's Jane. Maybe we should set up a meeting with her? You know, to express our condolences.”
    Instantly the image of the photograph of me and Harold at the river sprung to mind. “It's dangerous,” I said warily. “If the killer finds out we're visiting Jane, it could be bad news.”
    “Unless the killer is Jane,” Emily retorted. “And who else could it be? It wasn't Harold, it wasn't Susan, and it wasn't Chester. Jane had the most to gain anyway. I'm surprised we didn't follow up with her sooner.”
    “That's a good point,” Alex added. “Suppose the killer IS Jane? You're going to want us there with you, Laura, in case it hits the fan.”
    I nodded. “You're right. But how are we going to approach her? She's not just going to come out and admit to killing Mr. Brooks.”
    “You'll have to use your psychic powers,” Emily said matter-of-factly. “Back her into a corner. Figure out what she's lying about and checkmate her. It'll be like a chess game!”
    We paused at a street corner to wait for the signal. From here I could see the Brooks house up on Strawberry Hill, overlooking the town. “Okay then. We'll visit Mrs. Brooks. But let's go back to my place and plan it out. We'll only have once chance.”

Chapter 19
    “One more time,” I said. “Let's go through the plan one more time.”
    “I think you should probably be focused on the road,” Alex said nervously.
    She was probably right. Torrential rain had the windshield wipers on their maximum setting and I was holding the steering wheel so hard my hands hurt. Still, after we'd left the gas station on Tuesday night, we'd met to