Read A Deadly Delicious Delivery (A Chocolate Centered Cozy Mystery Book 2) for Free Online

open.”
    “Absolutely!”

Chapter Four
     
     
    Ally left the shop and headed back to the cottage. She wanted to take a few minutes to clear her head before talking to Luke. The best way to do that was to share her thoughts with Peaches. The cat was the best listener that she knew. When she opened the door to the cottage she heard a screech and a snort. A sigh rippled through her. It was going to take longer than she had thought for the new housemates to get along. Arnold was spending more time in the house than he used to. He was probably enjoying spending time hassling Peaches.
    “Peaches, come here, sweetie.” Ally clucked her tongue to call the cat. Peaches bounded down the hall and followed Ally into her bedroom. Ally closed the door to give Peaches a break from Arnold. She sat down on her bed. The cat jumped right up beside her.
    “I’m in quite a mess, Peaches. I don’t understand how the chocolates could have been poisoned. I made them, I packaged them, I even hand-delivered them. So, how could the poison get inside them?” She groaned and flopped back on the bed. “Now, Mee-Maw wants me to try and get Luke to share the evidence he found with me. I don’t know if he will be as responsive to me as she thinks he will be.”
    Peaches pranced right up onto Ally’s stomach and curled up. She stretched out her paws and yawned. “Oh, am I boring you?” Ally scratched her ears. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m over thinking it. Luke is a reasonable man, from what I know of him.” She bit into her bottom lip as she recalled the tension that had built up between her and Luke. She did her best to avoid him as she wasn’t sure what to make of how she felt when she was around him. With her divorce still fresh in her mind, and adjusting to being back in the town she grew up in, she had enough confusing emotions to deal with. The strange thing was that when she was around Luke, all of that confusion disappeared.  “Then again, what if he does listen? What if he will tell me what I need to know? You’re right, Peaches, it’s worth a try.”
    She pulled herself up off the bed and walked towards the closet. She wanted to find out what she could from Luke. Ally looked through her closet for something to wear. She mostly wore jeans and a flannelette top since moving back to Blue River, but she wanted to wear something a bit smarter to give her the confidence to talk to Luke about the case. She chose a blouse and a snug wraparound skirt. Even as she smoothed it down over her hips her heart fluttered with guilt that she was going to ask Luke to reveal information to her. But desperate times called for desperate measures, at least that’s what she told herself. With one more look in the mirror she smoothed her hair down. Now, she had to hope that Luke really did like her and would want to share the information with her.
     
    ***
     
    When Ally arrived at the police station she was greeted by a woman with short, gray hair and thick, blue glasses.
    “What is it that you want?” She squinted at Ally.
    “I need to speak with Luke, please.”
    “And you are?”
    “Uh, a friend.”
    “Are you aware that this is a place of work? I mean, you can’t just walk in and ask to talk to your buddy.” She raised a pencil thin, gray eyebrow. “Not only that, it is a police station. Your friend Luke has a job to do, and I’m sure he’s doing it.”
    “Ally?” Luke walked out of the back room and towards the front desk. “What are you doing here?”
    “Your friend is here to see you.” The woman rolled her eyes and shifted her chair away from the desk.
    Luke’s lips quirked slightly as if he might smile, but he caught himself before he did, and pressed his lips together hard.
    “What can I help you with, Ally?” Luke said as he gestured for her to walk away from the woman at the front desk so they were out of earshot.
    “It’s more about what you can do for me, Luke.” Ally did her best to offer a sweet smile. She