Read Ghost On Duty (Destiny Bay Cozy Mysteries Book 2) for Free Online Page B

days ago, I would have shown him right away. But I trusted him then. Now—not so much.  
    “I went out to get some air,” I said, trying to sound sassy. “That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
    He growled. At least, that was what it sounded like. “C’mon Mele. I know you better than that. You wouldn’t go into a dark, spooky courtyard full of possums for no reason.”
    “Maybe you don’t know me at all. I could be the world’s leading possum fan for all you know. And anyway, I didn’t know about the possums at the time. I didn’t know until you uncovered their hiding place. So you see, it’s not so strange after all. I just thought it was a place to get some cool air.”
    “Right.”
    We trudged along without speaking for a few minutes. I knew he was frustrated with me, but I didn’t really care. After all, he’d pretty much given signs that said there was nothing between us. So why should I go out of my way for him?  
    Okay, I knew that was bratty and obnoxious, but that was the way I was going to play it tonight. Show me some interest, show me some appreciation and affection, and I’m yours forever. Show me disinterest and lack of appeal, and I’m grumpy. It’s just human nature-or at least, it’s my nature.  
    So there!
    “How’s the investigation going?” I asked him.  
    “We’ve got some suspects.”
    “Persons of interest?” I asked, not trying to hide my sarcastic take on it all.  
    “You could say that.”
    “Am I still one of them?”
    He hesitated, then turned and faced me. “You know, you wouldn’t be if you’d just be honest with the captain. You act like this is some sort of cat and mouse game. It’s not. You can get into real trouble if you’re not careful.”
    “Gee, you said that like you actually cared,” I said, still with the sarcasm.  
    He swung around and grabbed me by the shoulders. “Mele, come on. Take this seriously. I keep trying to convince the captain that you’re as innocent as a newborn lamb, but he’s seeing things differently right now.”
    “A newborn lamb?” I said in horror. “What the hell do you take me for? Some little cuddly creature? I’m a woman, full grown. And I can take care of myself.”
    “Can you?”
    He still had my shoulders and he stared down at me. He looked like he wanted to kiss me. I swear that was in his eyes. And I don’t make these things up out of whole cloth like some women do. I was sure that was what he wanted. I waited, bated breath and all, wondering what I was going to do if he tried it, and he looked at my mouth and I was so sure….
    But no. He had second thoughts. He growled again and pulled away, turning and beginning to walk the lines of the vineyard between the well-trimmed vines. I came along beside him, wondering what I was doing wrong.  
    “Remember the good old days, when we were on the same side?” I said mockingly. “Ah, how I long for those times.”
    “Cut it out,” was all he said, and we didn’t speak again until we’d turned back down and headed for Bebe’s house.  
    “So what did you do with the parrot?” I asked as we trudged along.  
    He knew what I was talking about right away. “He’s at my apartment,” he said, and he didn’t sound like this was cheery information to him.  
    “No kidding?”
    “No kidding.”
    “For how long?”
    “Until I kill the bastard.”
    I suppressed a chuckle. “That bad, huh?”
    “Oh, you don’t know the half of it.”
    I shrugged. “How about all those guns? Where did they go?”
    “Guns?” He looked at me quizzically. “What guns?”
    I stared at him. “The guns. The Fort Knox guns. Didn’t you find a ton of guns in his place?”
    He shook his head. “Not that I know of.”
    “Oh. Hmm.” I stared straight ahead and didn’t say anything for a few minutes. Even I had seen the guns the first time I went to that house. If they weren’t there after Ned was killed—where were they?
    “So are you going to tell me why you