Read A Lonely Way to Die: A Utah O'Brien Mystery Novel (Minnesota Mysteries Series Book 2) for Free Online

sure.”
    Mort pulled his cap off his bald head and shook it to get the snow off. Some of the snow had already melted and dripped down his neck. “Harold rents it out to hunters sometimes. The place ought to be torn down. Why would they stay there?”
    “Were you able to reach the father?”
    Wally nodded. “He’s flying back from Europe. He was on the plane when I called, and they were coming in for a landing. I couldn’t talk long, because the flight attendant told him to turn off his phone. He’ll be here as soon as he can.” He let out a big sigh, and grimaced. “I guess I’ll have to go talk to Mildred, too.”
    “Don’t worry about it,” Mort said. “Me and Utah will go see her. It would be easier for the old girl, coming from us.”
    I wasn’t too happy about that idea, but of course he was right.
     
    We went into the kitchen. I introduced the two men to Gabe, and they sat with him at the table to talk. Wally asked a few questions about the night before, when Gabe’s mother went missing. The boy answered with the same story he’d already told me.
    Sam poured the pancakes and they sizzled on the griddle. When the cakes were nearly done, he cracked two eggs and cooked them, over easy. He’d been getting regular cooking lessons from my mother, who used to own the diner across the street. He was a good student.
    He put the eggs and pancakes and three strips of bacon on a plate, and took it to Gabe. The boy picked up a piece of bacon in his fingers and started to eat. Jocko’s ears went up and he sat close to Gabe’s chair, hoping for a bite. I growled at him and pointed to a spot near the bathroom door. He went, and sat, but he still kept his eye on the bacon.
    Sam put a bottle of maple syrup in front of the boy, a napkin, and butter. Mort and Wally waited while Gabe ate.
    “Wally, would you like breakfast?” Sam said.
    “Thanks, but no—I need to be getting back to the office.”
    “Mort?”
    Mort looked at Josie, who was still walking the baby up and down the room. She shook her head. Sadly, Mort turned to Sam and admitted that he’d already eaten at the diner.
    Sam poured more batter onto the griddle, fried more eggs, and then he and I both sat down at the table to eat. Mort reached over and stole a piece of bacon off my plate.
    When Gabe was finished, Wally said, “Son, I’m awful sorry this happened to your mother. I’ve got your dad’s number and I called him to let him know what’s going on.”
    “OK.”
    Josie laid Grace on the couch, near the corner, and held her hand on the baby to make sure she didn’t turn over and fall off. I stood and went out to the studio to get the laundry basket. I came back in and pulled a few clean towels out of the linen closet. I put them in the bottom of the basket, for a mattress. My mother carefully moved the baby into the makeshift bassinet, without waking her. She put it on the floor, near her feet, and Molly came over to lie down next to it.
    Wally had one more question for Gabe. “Son, this is a hard question to ask, but has your mom been feeling poorly lately? You know, like sad? Crying a lot? Depressed?”
    Gabe jumped up, scooting his chair back and scraping the legs against the old plank floor. “She didn’t do this on purpose,” he said, choking back the anger. “She wouldn’t. And she was happy, because her mom was going to talk to her, and she’s almost done with a new book, and she got an offer on the house, and …” He shoved the chair, and it crashed to the floor.
    The baby was startled awake by the noise, and started to cry. Molly stood up, on alert, but Josie put out her hand and calmed the old hound.
    Gabe went over to the couch, flopped down next to Josie, and reached over to pick up the baby. He held his little sister, and rocked back and forth.
    The cries petered out, and Grace fell asleep again in his arms.
    “She wouldn’t,” he said, into his little sister’s fluffy hair. “She just