Read A Dubious Delivery (A Seagrove Cozy Mystery Book 9) for Free Online

water with its nose.”
    “Looks like a homunculus to me,” Lucy said. “Like it’s alive.”
    “I think that’s Ken,” Betty said. “As in Barbie and.”
    “I guess it could be,” Sadie said, “but I kind of like the idea of it being a homunculus.”
    She only knew what a homunculus was from the story Dragon Rider , by Cornelia Funke, and wondered how the others knew.
    “Okay, give,” Betty said, “what is a homunculus?”
    “It’s like a Pinocchio,” Lucy said, “only it has been animated by a sorcerer instead of a wish. Didn’t Pinocchio’s maker wish he had a son? I never liked that story so I’m fuzzy on the details.”
    “Doesn’t matter,” Betty said. “I get the idea.”
    “I think a homunculus uses the life force of another living thing to animate itself,” Sadie said. “Like a flea or a spider.”
    The shop door opened and a tall woman swept in. The shop assistant ended his call and put his phone away with amazing alacrity. Sadie surmised this was the co-op manager. She planned to wait until the woman had put her coat away and was settled in before she approached her, but the manager divested herself of her coat and bags and came directly over to them.
    “I am Mary Marconi; can I help you?” she asked.
    Sadie was impressed that she didn’t apologize for her shop assistant. The urge to put him down a notch must have been very strong. At least that’s what Sadie would be longing to do.
    “I have a few questions about the artist who painted these,” Sadie said. “I actually do want to buy one, but I need to wait until I can show them to my fiancé. I don’t want to put something on the wall he hates.”
    “Completely understandable,” Mary said. “What would you like to know?”
    “We are curious,” Sadie said, wondering how much to tell this woman. As little as possible for the time being, she decided.
    “If Roger Orwin doesn’t have a studio anymore why are you still selling his paintings? I thought artists had to be actively creating to sell here.”
    She kept her voice light, she didn’t want this woman on the defensive, especially now that Lucy and Betty had moved to hear her answer.
    “His studio fees are paid through the end of the year,” Mary said. “And we do have provisions for artists who want to travel. It’s perfectly within our by-laws.”
    “Where do you send his checks?” Sadie asked, doubting the woman would tell her. She certainly would not divulge that kind of information.
    “Direct deposit into his local bank account.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “Anything else?”
    “Can you put a hold on this painting for me?” Sadie walked over to one of Roger’s paintings she hadn’t examined yet.
    “I thought this was your favorite,” Betty said, pointing to the one they had been examining.
    “When I figured out they were hidden picture paintings I stayed away from the one that attracted me the most,” Sadie said. “I want to save some of the fun for Zack too.”
    “Well, aren’t you tricky?” Lucy said. “Would’ve never guessed that one is your favorite. To guess on buying you one, I would have bought the wrong one.”
    “I’m sneaky like that,” Sadie said.
    “I’ll bring Zack by in the next day or two,” she said to Mary. “Is that soon enough?”
    “Considering we haven’t sold one of his in at least two months, I think you’ll be fine,” Mary said.
    She walked to the sales desk and made a note on a sheet, and then brought a little yellow sticker back and placed it on the wall label.
    “There,” she said, “it’s all yours. Just please remember to let us know if you change your mind.”
    “I will,” Sadie said.
    “Come on ladies, we have work to do. Mr. Bradshaw, let’s go.”
    And Mr. Bradshaw, who’d been curled up on the floor in a sunny spot, jumped up and headed for the door.
    While on the sidewalk, she said, “Let’s go to the bank before we go to Cyrus’ house. I want to see if they will give me his