Read 4 Yip/Tuck for Free Online Page A

be right here. How’s your cousin?”
    Well, hell. She remembered me. And Caro. “Peachy. Just peachy.”
    Malone appeared in his T-shirt and jeans. “You’re out early.”
    “Good morning to you too, sunshine. I brought you the list.” I waved the paper in the air. “I have good news and not so good news.”
    He snatched it from my outstretched hand. “I’d prefer you didn’t have any news.”
    Undeterred, I continued, following him to his office. “The good news is that Darby’s name is nowhere on that list. Just in case you’re still suspicious of her since the last murder.”
    “That is good news.”
    “The bad news is I sold twenty-five green leads in the last six months, and only half paid with a check or credit card.”
    We stopped in front of his office. “Do you have addresses?”
    “Of course.”
    Here’s the thing about Malone’s office. It’s barely big enough for Thumbelina, not a man over six-feet. He sat behind his desk, and I took the tan plastic chair opposite him. It was my only option.
    “Is that stain new?” I pointed at the large brown spot under the garbage can.
    He didn’t look amused or interested in discussing the cleanliness of his office. Apparently, he was all business today, too.
    “My inventory system is down. I was lucky to get this much. I can put together a list of phone numbers and addresses and drop it off later today. Would that work?” I asked.
    “You’re not getting any wild ideas are you, Ms. Langston?”
    “Don’t you think it’s time you started calling me Mel? Even Melinda’s better than Ms. Langston.”
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    He was warming up to me. “Ideas about what? Calling me by my first name?”
    “Helping me.”
    I gave him a wide grin. “I just helped you.”
    “You know what I mean. Don’t poke your nose in police business. If you think of something that might be important, call me. Failing to cooperate with an investigation is a crime. Don’t try and sleuth it out yourself.”
    I held out my hands, palms up. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
    “It’s not your dreams I’m concerned with. You got lucky last time. You could have been killed.”
    Blah, blah blah. I was well acquainted with the current song and dance. “I don’t have a dog in this fight. I only got involved last time because you refused to believe Darby was innocent.”
    Malone leaned back in chair, daring me to argue. “I go where the evidence takes me.”
    I got the feeling that might lead toward Tova. I stood. “Sometimes the evidence points to an innocent person.”
    FROM THE moment I flipped the open sign at Bow Wow, there was a steady stream of customers. Most of them were in the market for gossip and not pet accessories. Except when it came to the green leather leads. Suddenly, everyone wanted one. I loved my customers, but sometimes they were a little over the top, even for me.
    In the midst of all the craziness, I’d forgotten about my last phone call with Dr. O. The second Tova’s assistant, Stacie, rushed into the shop, I remembered. Kiki’s boots were stashed under the counter. Oh, boy. I needed to deliver those to Tova. Not that Tova would be in the mood for the delivery. I regretted not giving her the gift last night.
    “Mel, tell me this is just a bad dream,” she begged, her eyes red-rimmed.
    I was pretty sure she hadn’t been crying over her poor choice in fashion. Someone needed to do the girl a favor and tell her skinny jeans and a body-hugging tunic weren’t a good wardrobe choice for someone with the muscle definition of a Ukrainian bodybuilder.
    As much as I’d love to tell her what she wanted to hear, the crime scene tape stuffed in the public trashcan in front of my store would suggest otherwise. Plus, Dr. O’s death had made national headlines before noon.
    I guided her away from the small group of customers so we could have a semblance of privacy.
    “The reporter on TV said Jack’s death was undetermined. Have you