Read Kelly's Koffee Shop (A Cedar Bay Cozy Mystey Book 1) for Free Online Page B

smell? I noticed it when I was here yesterday evening, but the
breeze from the ocean must have been blowing it away from the ranch. Tonight
it’s horrible. I read somewhere that marijuana really smells bad when it’s
getting close to the time to harvest it, but this is beyond what I might have
expected. I wonder what the workers do. Wear gas masks? At least the Blacks can
go into their house and turn on some kind of a filtering system if it’s not warm
enough for the air-conditioner.
    Holding Rebel on his leash
with one hand, she pressed the big brass door knocker three times with her
other hand. The door opened so quickly she was certain that someone had been
notified the moment she’d entered the driveway.
    Funny, I’ve been out here
several times during the day, but I’ve never noticed any type of alarm or
security system. I must have activated something when I entered the driveway.
    Jeff stood at the open
door, looking from Kelly to Rebel. “Little late for a social visit isn’t it,
Kelly? And why the dog?”
    “Well, I was driving by
and decided to drop in and see how Brandon was doing. Rebel always travels with
me. Since he hadn’t been here before and he’s so protective of me, I didn’t
want to leave him in the car, so I put him on his leash.”
    “Not much you can do here.
Brandon’s in bed, asleep, and Marcy and I were just getting ready to do the
same. Thanks for coming. Understand the service for Amber will be Saturday
morning. See you then,” he said, closing the door.
    Well, that didn’t go very
well , she
thought. “Rebel, I’m going to pretend you got away from me. Go over to that
fence and see what happens.” She let the leash slide out of her hand. Rebel ran
to the fence and began growling. He put his paw on the fence and was thrown
back just as a gunshot rang out. She ran over to Rebel not knowing what had
happened to him. The door to the house flew open and Jeff rushed over to where
she was bending over Rebel.
    “Kelly,” he said in a
menacing voice, “what’s going on? What was your dog doing over by the fence?”
    “I have no idea. His leash
slipped out of my hand and he ran over there,” she said, checking to make sure
he hadn’t been hit by the gunshot. “Actually, Jeff, I’d like to know what
happened to my dog and why someone shot at him.”
    Jeff smiled in a placating
manner. “Sorry, Kelly. We heard that some of the members of the Indian tribe
adjacent to this property have been rustling cattle so I hired a couple of guys
to make sure my cattle are safe and secure. Actually, I’d lost a few before I
hired them. Don’t want to point a finger, but sure is suspicious. They probably
thought the rustlers sent a dog out as a scout. Looks like he’s fine.” He
looked at the Rolex on his wrist. “It’s late, Kelly. Seem to remember you have
to get up pretty early. Here, let me open your car door for you. I’ll watch you
while you drive back to the main road. Make sure your dog doesn’t try to get
out, although he seems to be fine. Might want to keep a tighter grip on that
leash. Hate for something to happen to him.”
    “Thanks, Jeff. See you
Saturday at the funeral,” she said as she got in her minivan and started
driving back towards the road.
    Jeff, you think you’d hate
for something to happen to Rebel. Trust me, anything happens to this dog and
you will be suspect number one. Mike was absolutely right. Something suspicious
is definitely going on out here .
    She called Mike and was
immediately transferred to his answerphone. “Mike, it’s me. You were right
about the Black’s ranch. I’m going home and to bed. Tell you all about it
tomorrow morning and don’t worry, Rebel and I are fine.”
     

CHAPTER 7
     
    Kelly knew the residents of Cedar Bay
like the back of her hand, and it was just as she’d predicted, it seemed like
everyone in the small town managed to come by Kelly’s Koffee Shop the next
morning. She and Roxie never took a break from the time