Read Can't Keep a Brunette Down for Free Online

the school's senior instructors, stood on her front step with a cup of coffee in each hand. A former professional bodybuilder and fitness instructor, he would turn fifty next month. Gravity and a lack of serious training had softened him. "I hear you found Walter's body yesterday. That must have been rough. I wanted to check on you sooner, but Thayer corralled us all into itty bitty rooms at the station for half the night."
    Even Gilda's voice, gravelly and low, was in rough shape. "Better than I look and sound."
    "Glad to hear it. I brought you coffee. Extra sugar and cream to combat shock and fatigue." The sun shone off Xavier's balding head when he handed her the cup with a white mark on the black lid.
    "You didn't have to do that. Thanks." She was dressed for her morning run but definitely not ready. Along with the penchant for drinking coffee, she'd picked up a few good habits working at the school. Her karate skills had sharpened considerably after she started running and had lost a few ice cream pounds. Caffeine and sugar might help hold the scary thoughts at bay and, at the very least, they would improve her run time.
    "I wanted to bring donuts, but I'm cutting weight for that big tournament next month." Xavier patted his paunch and looked sheepish. "I want to compete in an easier weight category. The guys I usually fight are monsters."
    "Me too." Gilda managed a tired smile. "Trying to lose a couple pounds, I mean. For me though, not for a tournament. Running helps."
    "I hate running unless it's after an ice cream truck. Hard to believe someone would kill Walter. He was such a nice guy." He sat on the top step. "Pretty violent way to go. Whoever killed him would either have to be pretty strong or find an easy way to incapacitate him, like poison or a knock to the head. Personally, I think I'd prefer something more subtle, like poison or a heart attack. What about you?"
    She raised her eyebrows. Why would he talk that way? Had he poisoned her coffee? Dumb thought. Walter's death had suddenly made her suspicious of everyone. Xavier always brought her coffee. He and Mick were the only two instructors who gave her a second glance, let alone brought her coffee or treats, especially when they needed her to do a little extra work for them. Walter had brought her fresh tea herbs from his garden. She blinked back a fresh batch of tears and gagged, suddenly unable to swallow.
    "You sure you're okay?" he asked.
    "Yeah. Sorry. I couldn't sleep." Let alone think of how she wanted to die.
    She thought about inviting him inside but instead joined him on the porch and sat on the top step. The sun seeped into her pores and warmed her flesh. Inside, she quivered, still able to picture Walter lying dead on the mats when she closed her eyes.
    Xavier sat next to her and patted her shoulder. "You did all the right things, kiddo."
    "I didn't do anything." Gilda took a sip of coffee. Perfect, as usual, with a faint hint of almonds. Amaretto or cyanide? She normally loved the flavor, but her stomach gurgled, mostly from stress. Gut instinct told her not to drink it or she'd be sick there and then whether it was poisoned or not. She could reheat it later once her stomach settled. "All I did was go to work, find a body, and not have a total meltdown until I got home."
    "Some people would've run off screaming," he said. "They would've locked the door and left him for someone else to find."
    Would Xavier have left? She frowned. Nah. At one time, Xavier owned his own school, but then he gave it up to pursue a high-ranking job with a company selling martial arts gear. The same company the school currently bought all its gear from. He had nothing to gain by poisoning her anyway.
    "At least the cause of death is obvious. He took a katana to the chest, Mick said. The autopsy would be a lot more difficult if Walter had been poisoned."
    As Gilda pretended to sip her coffee, her suspicions of Xavier growing, her gaze fell on the dent in the right front