Free Evelyn David - Sullivan Investigations 02 - Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David Page A

scenery apparently fascinating. “I might have borrowed it.” Her voice was very soft.
    “ Jesus, Bridget.” Mac could feel his blood pressure skyrocketing. He pulled over and turned off the engine. “You know that even if you’re right, you screwed up any possibility of using that glass for evidence.”
    Bridget turned back, defiance flashing in her eyes. “The sheriff wasn’t interested in the glass. He thinks Crager died of natural causes.”
    Mac took a deep breath trying to get his emotions under control. Arguing with Bridget was like arguing with the Pope. Neither one was going to change his opinion.
    “What do you plan to do with your souvenir? I say souvenir because we sure can’t use it for anything else.”
    “ Take it to a lab and have it tested.”
    “ And then what?”
    Bridget looked uncomfortable. “And then I don’t know what. But at least I’ll know I’m not crazy.”
    Mac considered the information. “How do you know he’d been drinking Jack Daniels? I didn’t see any bottles in the house.”
    Bridget considered that fact. “Maybe the killer took the bottle with him. But Crager was definitely drinking Jack Daniels. You can smell it.” She extended the opened bag to Mac, who sniffed it and handed it back.
    She put the bag with the glass back in her purse.
    “I saw a beer bottle on the coffee table, along with the shot glass.” Bridget explained. “It’s like college. Drink a beer and follow it with a whiskey chaser. Double the pleasure.”
    “ And the pain,” Mac said ruefully. “I did see a beer bottle on the coffee table when I came downstairs from the bedroom. I guess you had already taken the glass.”
    The young reporter nodded.
    “But I only saw a single bottle of beer. So maybe he was drinking by himself.” Mac thought the argument sounded weak, but felt he had to offer it.
    Bridget shook her head. “Come on, Uncle Mac, it’s not like the killer was going to leave his bottle and glass behind.”
    Mac reluctantly agreed, then held out his hand. “Give me the glass. I’ll take it to a friend of mine at the police lab. If anybody’s doing time for screwing up a crime scene, it certainly can’t be the bride. We still need to talk about his computer. Did you manage to find anything interesting on it?”
    “ I couldn’t get in. He had a password and there was no time.” Bridget grinned and dug into her purse. “But here’s the glass. I was hoping you’d offer to deal with it.”
    “ Right. I’m the biggest sucker you know.” He took it, locked it in the glove box, then started the car. “Now let’s get over to your parents. We’re going to be in enough trouble for being late.”
    “ What’s my dad going to do? Take away your car?” Bridget laughed.
    He pulled out into traffic. The car backfired in protest. “No. If Jeff wanted to punish me, he’d make me keep it.”
     
    ***
     
    Jeff knew the odds of finding something to eat in the cupboard were zip to none. He should have gone through the drive-through window and scarfed down a burger and fries before coming home. He’d have to start keeping a toothbrush at work so he could erase any telltale evidence on his breath before walking into the house.
    He ‘d been running late all afternoon. He’d argued for 20 minutes with the casket manufacturer about replacing the stolen coffins and he still didn’t know who was going to pony up for the new stock. It’s not like he had a lot of extra cash available, not with Bridget’s wedding coming up and the bidding war he’d gotten into with Dalton Funeral Homes Inc. two months earlier when he’d purchased Franklin’s. In the end he’d only won out because he’d agreed to keep on any of Franklin’s people who wanted to stay. Won? Yeah, he’d won the round, but not the war. Dalton was hanging around, undercutting his prices and stealing his business.
    The Martinelli funeral was one he ‘d managed to nail down before the Daltons knew the talk show host was