Read 2 A Deadly Beef for Free Online Page A

front, starting right now."
    My
grandmother looked at me and smiled.  "Does that mean that
you’ve solved the case already?"
    "Actually,
we’ve barely gotten started," I said.  I looked around, and
then I asked her, "Where’s Jenny?  She should have been here
an hour ago."
    "She
called in sick just after you two left.  The poor thing’s got some
kind of bug, but she offered to come in anyway when she heard that I was
working the front by myself.  I hope it’s all right, Victoria, but I told her that I could handle things here on my own, and she should stay
home.  If you need to go out again, I’d be glad to stay here and
keep covering the front."
    "Thanks
for the offer, but there’s not much Moose and I can do at the moment, and
I decided that I’d rather be here than anywhere else in the world."
    "The
place does get into your blood, doesn’t it?" Martha asked.
    "I
won’t deny it.  Do you ever miss working here on a more permanent
basis?" I asked.  If my grandmother wanted to go to work again, I
was certain that I could find something for her.
    "I
admit that I think about it from time to time, but a few shifts here and there
tell me how lucky I am to be retired."  She paused, and then added,
"But you should never hesitate to call me if I can help.  You know
that, don’t you?"
    I
kissed her cheek, and then I said, "I know it, and I appreciate it more
than I can say."
    Moose
frowned at me.  "Hey, don’t I merit a kiss, too?  I do a
whole lot more than sub for you here at the diner."
    I
kissed both of his cheeks, and then I said, "Now take off, you two. 
Moose, call me if something develops."
    "I
will, as long as you promise to do the same," he said. 
"Should we try to talk to Dave after you get off work and close the diner
tonight?"
    I
thought about how appealing it sounded just to stay home with Greg, maybe even
have a fire now that it was getting really chilly out, but I realized that we
needed to jump on this case while it was still fresh.  "Come by the
house around eight," I said.
    "I’ll
be there."
    After
Moose and Martha were gone, I refilled a few glasses of tea and cups of coffee
for our customers, and then I walked over to the pass-through window to chat
with my husband until someone needed me. 
    "What’s
up with Jenny tonight?" I asked as he joined me from the other side.
    "Don’t
ask me.  She’s probably just got the boyfriend-flu again,"
Greg said.  "You know how she gets when there’s a new man in
her life."
    "If
that’s true, I should skin her alive for ditching on Martha like
that," I said.  Jenny was usually pretty reliable, and I hated to
think that I couldn’t count on her any more.
    "I’m
just kidding," Greg said.  "I’m sure she’s really
sick.  Do you want me to call her house and check on her?"
    "No,
I’ll do it myself.  If she really is sick, maybe I can take
her some of your homemade chicken noodle soup a little later."  As I
looked around the diner, I added, "It looks like it’s just the two
of us for the last two hours tonight.  Do you think we can handle it all
by ourselves?"
    "There’s
no doubt in my mind," he said.  "Did you have much luck in
your investigation?"
    "You
know how these things go.  We have to do a lot of digging before we turn
up anything that we can use.  It’s tough getting folks to come clean
with us."
    "You’ll
manage it if anyone can," he said as he put a plated Mooseburger and
fries on the window shelf.  "This is for the Major."
    "I’ll
take care of it," I said.  I carried the plate to one of the far
tables and put it down in front of the Major.  I wasn’t really sure
why everyone called him that, but as far as I knew, that had been his nickname
for his entire life, so I never really questioned it.
    "Hello,
Victoria," he said.  "That looks delightful."
    "I
hope you enjoy it," I said, and then I hesitated for a moment.  It
was a slow evening, and I had time to talk.  "Do you mind if I ask
you a question?"
    "Only
if you